Extraordinary women finally being given the permanent platform they deserve, in Limerick

AS Limerick looks ahead to International Women's Day this Sunday, March 8, the timing of an announcement of a significant attraction for the city could not be more apt.

The news that JP McManus is gifting the landmark International Rugby Experience building on O’Connell Street in the city to the State - with plans for it to become part of the National Museum of Ireland and house a permanent exhibition dedicated to the stories of women in Ireland -  feels very timely.

For years, it has been felt locally that Limerick’s famous daughters deserve more enduring recognition than festivals, plaques, a lecture series, annual awards or a passing reference in a classroom. 

READ MORE: ‘Ambition’ to have women’s museum at former International Rugby Experience open for Ryder Cup

Limerick has given Ireland and the world extraordinary women. 

Opera singer Catherine Hayes captivated 19th-century audiences across Europe and America. Constance Smith brought Hollywood glamour, starring in more than 30 films and presenting at the 1952 Academy Awards. 

Lady Mary Heath, born in Knockaderry, shattered aviation barriers as the first woman in Britain to hold a commercial flying licence and to parachute from an aeroplane (see our L2 cover story in this week's paper). 

Novelist Kate O'Brien challenged social convention through fiction, while Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries carried Limerick’s voice and accent to global stages.

And these are just some of the Limerick women who have made a major impact beyond the banks of the Shannon. Historian Sharon Slater documented the achievements of ‘100 Women of Limerick’, in her book.

This new museum will not only honour women nationally, it will prove Limerick as a fitting home for their stories ensuring that the achievements of women, from this county and across Ireland, are finally given the permanent platform they deserve.